In recent years, the motor-operated, electric can opener has become one of the most popular and commercially important small electric appliances. Since it is a relatively simple appliance, it is easy for small manufacturers to design and tool to manufacture an electric can opener. Accordingly, the field has become very competitive with large numbers of manufacturers sharing the more than five million units a year can opener market in the United States. Because of the vigorous competition in the field, the addition of features incorporated in the current can openers and improvements in quality has become very important. Some of these additional features involve increasing the functions performed by the can opener through incorporation of knife sharpeners, ice crushers, juicers and the like with the can opener. The lack of space in the kitchen and the fact that the can opener usually occupies a convenient and readily accessible position makes these multi-purpose, combination appliances particularly desirable.
Although at one time almost all preserved food purchased in the store was sold in cans, with the advent of flexible plastic materials, it is common for foods to be packaged and sold in plastic bags. Such plastic bags are being used increasingly to bag commercially available foods, especially frozen foods, and are also increasingly being used in the home to bag homemade foods and left-overs. This plastic material is heavy and almost impossible to tear or rip without a knife or scissors. Even if the housewife takes the time to locate a knife or scissors to open the plastic bag, the results are sometimes unsatisfactory because of the risk of injury when puncturing the bag with a hand-held sharp object.
It would be convenient and desirable to have a single appliance which would have the capability of easily opening various different types of food containers such as metal cans and plastic bags.